Car-coupling



{No Model.

J. A. HINSON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 482,358 Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HINsoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,358, dated September 13, 1892. Application filed November 13, 1891. Serial No. 4=ll,801. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. HINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do here by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to car-couplings, and particularly to automatic couplings of that type or class known as the twin-jaw car-coupler; and it has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and effective coupling of few parts adapted to automatically lock the swinging knuckle back to form a coupling and to swing the same forward or outward in position for coupling with a mating coupler immediately upon its release from the retaining-latch; and it consists, first, in providing a vertically-movable latch of peculiar construction adapted to form a coupling on a curve and to permit of the longitudinal movement of the draw-bar without liability of injury to the uncoupling device; second, in providing means adapted to support said latch in its raised position and to swing the knuckle outwardly immediately upon its release from the retaining-latch, and, third, in other details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows two mating couplers coupled together, one of which is shown in plan and the other in horizontal longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a front elevation of a draw-head with the knuckle removed; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a longitudinal horizontal section of a modification; Fig. 5, a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a front elevation of my improved latch.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several Views.

A represents a draw-bar, B a draw-head, and O a swinging knuckle pivot-ally mounted in the draw-head, all of which may be of the conventional type of automatic car-couplers, ex-

50' cept as hereinafter pointed out.

and extending through a smaller opening 5,

formed in the lower wall of the draw-head.

The latch is cast or formed with a flange c at its upper end, by which it rests on and is supported by that portion of the draw-head surrounding the opening a when said, latch is down or in its locking position, thus excluding dirt, snow, &c., from the draw-head. At the center of the upper end of the latch is formed a cavity 01, the end walls of which taper inwardly or converge toward each other, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 5, in which one end of a link or bar E is pivotally secured by a pin 6, passing through the latch from side to side.

To the upper end of the link or bar E is to be secured one end of the chain or link, the other end of which is attached to the unlocking-lever, as is customary, for raising the latch up to release the knuckle. The object of this construction is to permit of the free longitudinal play of the draw-bar when in use without injurious effect on the lever or chain, the link or bar E turning on its pin back and forth to permit of this play of the draw-bar without straining the unlocking chain or lever. The front edge of the latch is formed with an inclined shoulder f, and said latch is reduced at its lower end to enter the lower opening in the draw-head. At one side of the latch is formed two shoulders g h, adapted to support the latch in its raised position on the arm G, and also enabling the same to form a.

coupling when the car to which it is secured is on a curve. The arm G consists of a metal bar curved tocorrespond to the shape of the interior of the draw-head and having one end pivotally mounted on a pin H, secured in the draw-bar at a point immediately at or in rear of the junction of the draw-bar and drawhead, said draw-bar being cast with a boss is at the point where the pin passes through the same,-which forms a bearing for the arm, so as to raise it above the interior surface of the draw-head, while a downwardly extending projection near its outer end supports the same in a level position. At its free end the arm is notched or formed with perforated lugs Z, between which a friction-roller m is secured, and near the pivotal point of the arm is formed a vertical projection n, adapted to come in contact with the latch when the same is down, and thus limit the outward swing of the arm. The'object of this projection is to hold the arm back, and thus prevent injury to the arm from the entrance into the drawhead of the link of a link-and-pin coupling when, as it sometimes happens, the knuckle is out and the latch is down. Immediately above the arm I mount a spiral spring L, one end 0 of which is carried back and rests against the wall of the draw-bar and the other end 19 extended outwardly or across the drawbar and turned down at right angles against; the rear end of the arm G, so as to press against the same and tend to throw or swing the same on its pin H, causing the roller m to bear against the rear side or edge of the tail-piece of the knuckle and to swing or turn the same outwardly when it is released from the latch. The arm is so arranged that when the latch is raised sufficiently to release the knuckle the spring immediately-forces the tree endof the arm outwardly (swinging the knuckle) and under the lower shoulder, thus supporting said latch in its raised position until a mating knuckle enters the draw-head and sw-ingsor forces the tail-piece back, causing the same to come in contact with and turn said arm on its pivot untilit passes from underthe shoulder and permits the latch tof drop in front of the tail-piece, and thus com-- plete the coupling.

In Figs 4 and '5I show a modified construction of my invention, in which a casting M,f carrying the roller, is riveted to the end of a fiat orround spring N and the other end of? saidsprin g bent forwardly and secured tothef side wall ofthe draw-bar. Thespring is so shaped or formed with a bend, as :at s, as to' enter beneath the shoulder on the latchwhen f the latter is raised and the knuckle strung out. Inthis case, it will be observed, 1 do away with the arm and cause the spring which forcesthe knuckle out toalso support the latch.

Various modifications*andarrangements of l the parts of my invention may be m'ade without-departure from the spirit of 'myinven tion, and I-do not therefore desire to be lim-' ited to the exact construction and arrange-3 ment hereindescribed. l Having thus described myinventiomwhatfi I claim as new, and desireto-secure by Letters Patent, is-- i 1. The comliination, in an automatic carcoupleryofthe knuckle,a vertically=movable latch, and means both for supporting said latch in its raised position and for swinging said knuckle on its pivots or bearings, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler having a swinging knuckle, of a Vertically-movable latch provided with a shoulder on its side and a horizontal arm pivoted within the draw-head and adapted to enter beneath said shoulder and support said latch and to swing said knuckle outwardly when saidlatch'is raised, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler having a swinging knuckle, of a vertically-movable latch, an arm pivoted within the draw-head, and means for holding said armyielding'ly in contact with said latch,snbstantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler having a swinging knuckle, o'fa vertically-movable latch, a friction-roller, and means for holding said roller in yieldingcontact withlsaid knuckle and adapted to supportsaid latch when raisedy-substantially as described.

5. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler havinga swinging knuckle, of a vertically-movable latch, an arm pivotallysecured in rear of'the latch and carrying a frictionroller in its free endgand-a spring'arranged to press against s'aid'arm, substantially as described. p

6. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler having *a swingi'ng knuckle,-of a vertically-movable "latchpa curved horizontal .arm pi-votally secured in the-draw-'head,car-' rying a roller at its free end and having a ing the pivot of the arm and exerting its 5 :strength against said arm, substantially .as described.

'7. 'The combination, in an automatic car- 'coupler, of a vertically-movable latch having ia cavity with inclined end walls formedin its upper'end and'a link or bar pivoted atone rend within said cavity for connecting the uncoupling-c'hain with said latch, substantially :as described.

Intestimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. HINSON. Witnesses:

GEO. W. RIGGS, J AMES W. MEEKER.

IOU 

